Services to be implemented during 2012/13 via Any Qualified Provider

Consistent with the national directive to extend patient choice to community and mental health services, NHS South of Tyne and Wear will undertake three procurements to Any Qualified Provider (AQP) principles.

Choice of Any Qualified Provider means that when patients are referred (usually by their GP) for a particular service, they should be able to choose from a list of qualified providers who meet NHS service quality requirements, prices and normal contractual obligations. This approach is already in place for routine elective procedures.

To help increase patient choice, access to services, and quality NHS South of Tyne & Wear and the Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Groups will undertake the following procurements under Any Qualified Provider in 2012/13:
o Adult hearing Services in the community
o Anticoagulation Services (Diagnostics closer to home)
o Podiatry Services (not including biomechanics or orthotics)

Extending patient choice of provider is intended to empower patients and carers, improve their outcomes and experience, enable service innovation and free up clinicians to drive change and improve practice.

How this decision was made

In reaching this decision NHS South of Tyne & Wear have taken account of all feedback received where improvements to quality and access of service would be welcomed.
Local engagement included service users, patients, patient representatives, healthcare professionals and providers via presentations at key locality meetings and patient and carer forums, an open session for providers and use of a stakeholder bulletin and patient survey, which were also made available via their websites.

In addition to this all services were assessed against a number of criteria to determine suitability for AQP:

o Existing prices/currencies
o Existing (or clearly defined) service model
o Regulatory framework
o Fits a standard NHS contract
o Identifiable metrics to measure outcomes
o Market analysis indicates sufficient market interest
o No significant barriers to entry
o Activity levels indicate sufficient demand
o Current contract arrangements
o Clinical competency levels
o Activity and costs on current services are understood enough to adequately predict
costs and volumes under AQP
o Extending patient choice
o Financial risk presented by AQP

Next steps

An NHS South of Tyne and Wear AQP Steering group has been established to oversee, assure and manage the implementation and ensure we use AQP appropriately as a tool to support effective commissioning.

AQP is embedded in commissioning processes and will be used as an appropriate method of procurement in the future in line with commissioning priorities and processes.

Finally

Thank you for sharing your views.
NHS South of Tyne & Wear can ensure that all feedback obtained during this process will continue to be used to influence future commissioning plans.

Any questions?

Please email AQP